Preparing you for a career in archaeology!

Introduction

Welcome to The Irish Fieldschool of Prehistoric Archaeology (IFPA), where first-class education and cutting-edge research go hand in hand. Our fieldschool is fully accredited and transferable credits are available for international students.

About the fieldschool

We are a National University of Ireland, Galway fieldschool and the only archaeological fieldschool singularly focused on Ireland's prehistory. We have just completed a three year campaign of excavation concentrated on Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age megaliths - wedge tombs. This project is now in its post excavation phase and several publications are on the way. In 2018, we will commence a new campaign of excavation concentrating on barrows and the later Bronze/Iron Age. To read more about our research click here.

Where are we based?

We are based in the west of Ireland, in the beautiful Burren of Co. Clare, near the world famous cliffs of Moher. The Burren is a mecca for surfers, kayakers, hikers, cavers and other outdoor enthusiasts. To read more about the Burren click here.

During the summer we have top academics from Irish Universities visit to give talks on Irish prehistory. To see a list of those coming in 2018 and those that came in previous years click here.

Philosophy

At the IFPA we want our students to understand the research questions with which we approach our excavations, think critically about the techniques we employ and become fully engaged in the interpretive process.